As March rolls into April it would be fair to say that in reflecting on the past month, things have been a bit tough. Without trivialising the list of world and national events that are dominating the news cycle, it would be easy to feel slumped by it all.
However, throughout the past month feel good stories have cropped up and up again. Whether they be about Lancashire venues being given awards, schools celebrating a successful Ofsted inspection or the exceptional fundraising efforts of people across the county.
Mid-March saw a retired nurse from Southport discover she had a secret brother after her niece tracked her down using DNA. Linda, from Birkdale, said she was ‘happy shocked’ after she was delivered the shocking news.
READ MORE: Blackpool youngsters rebuilding their lives through the ADDER project
A man from Poulton-le-Fylde has shared his ‘relief’ after has welcoming a Ukrainian refugee into his home. Max Fox met Vlad while he was in Poland helping with humanitarian efforts. Vlad was welcomed into Max’s home just last week following efforts to get him there.
As well as these touching stories, there are examples of fun feel-good tales of a Crufts winner, fundraising and even an ice cream parlour. Here, we’ve rounded up some of the most uplifting good news stories from around Lancashire in the past month, in no particular order, to celebrate the good things happening throughout the county.
If you’ve got a feel good news story for us, contact our reporter rebecca.lockwood@reachplc.com
Blackpool’s Notarianni Ices receive national award
Notarianni Ices on Blackpool Promenade is renowned for its iconic spot on the promenade and brilliant ice creams. The family-run business first started in 1928 when owner, Luigi Notarianni, opened up the first parlour on Central Promenade after emigrating to the UK in the early 20th century.
Luigi’s great grandchildren Luca Vettese and his sister Maddalena now continue to run the family business and Luca has recently been awarded with the national ‘Guido Morelli Rising Star’ award from the Ice Cream Alliance.
Speaking to LancsLive, Luca said: “I can’t tell you how much I love Blackpool. I absolutely adore it and I just thank the people more than anything and I think we’re just so lucky to have a town when something goes wrong or when something goes bad, I’ve never known a community spirit like it.
“The promenade, the sunsets we get, everything the Pleasure Beach, The Tower the piers, I could chat about Blackpool all day. It’s just an incredible town and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else and to have a business that’s been so long standing in Blackpool is a real honour.
Read the full story here.
Rossendale brothers make six-day trip to the Polish-Ukrainian border with supplies
Two brothers from Rossendale have made the journey to the Polish-Ukrainian bored to deliver supplies and equipment for people in need amid Ukraine’s ongoing conflict with Russia.
Lee Withey and Robert Mackey took a truck-load of supplies to the Polish town of Przemyśl. Robert initially came up with the idea for the brothers to travel to Ukraine and enlisted Lee’s construction company’s truck as a way of getting the donations there.
Talking to LancsLive about the journey to Poland with his brother, Lee said: “I’ve never done anything like this before but we are in a position where we can do something and play our part so we think it’s a good idea. It was actually easier than I thought to sort this out as the government have made it easy in regards to paperwork when you’re providing aid.”
Read the full story here.
Accrington health worker receives top award after succeeding against the odds
A Healthcare Assistant working in East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust received a top award after building up her confidence and self-belief to take on a demanding job at the Trust’s Emergency Department.
Natalie Taylor, from Accrington, was named top at the England Country Final of The Prince’s Trust and TK Maxx & Homesense Awards, which recognise young people who have succeeded against the odds, improved their chances in life and had a positive impact on their local community.
Natalie, 30, joined in summer 2020 through The Prince’s Trust Get Into Hospital Services programme which provides short placements across various departments. Prior to this, she was a stay-at-home mum to her five young children, the youngest born with a chronic lung condition and required 24-hour care.
Read the full story here.
Lancashire man welcomes Ukrainian refugee into his home
A man from Poulton-le-Fylde has welcomed a Ukrainian refugee into his home. Max Fox met Vlad, from Ukraine, while he was in Poland helping with humanitarian efforts and submitted an application to bring him back to the UK on March 18.
Max then put Vlad up in a hotel until the application was successful. Last week, Max finally welcomed Vlad into his home which he shares with his partner. Vlad landed at Manchester Airport on March 25 which Max said was a ‘relief’ after what he described as a ‘torturous’ week.
Read the full story here.
Lancashire pub that goes above and beyond for the community
A popular Lancashire pub has donated £1,000 to a charity that helps children with disabilities and their families after being shortlisted for a major award.
The Bellflower in Garstang was shortlisted in the Community Hero category of the Great British Pub Awards 2021 and has donated the funding from category sponsor Coca Cola to Mawdesley charity Rainbow Hub which helps children with physical and neurological disabilities.
The funding is aimed at helping all six shortlisted pubs to continue with the community work that got them to the final. Manager Heather Brandwood paid tribute to the charity and told LancsLive the charity meant a lot to her as it had helped her two-year-old niece, Scarlett Steeden-Smith, who suffers with cerebral palsy, a cyst on the brain and chronic kidney disease.
Read the full story here.
Burnley schoolboy’s 365 days of incredible kindness
Alfie Butler, 8, has been raising money for Pendleside Hospice by doing a different fundraising activity every month this year. So far, he has raised over £1,000 for the hospice, which looked after his great grandad and great auntie before they died.
The schoolboy from Burnley had the idea to complete 12 fundraising activities when the country entered new coronavirus restrictions in December last year. Some of the activities that Alfie completed include a bake sale in February, an Easter themed quiz in March and a ‘Name the Dino’ teddy competition in April.
Read the full story here.
Preston community volunteer nominated for outstanding contribution
An employee who works at Amazon’s delivery station as a shift manager in Leyland has received a special surprise in recognition of her outstanding efforts in supporting the community.
Sophie Atherton, 25, has been nominated for an Amazon Star award in recognition of her voluntary work in the Preston community, which includes raising awareness for the shoebox appeal in partnership with the Preston Community Hub, and organising a food collection for the SLEAP Homeless charity.
Read the full story here.
Victory as homeless man who chained himself to Lancaster town hall given house by council
Campaigners claimed victory this month after a homeless man in Lancaster was housed by the council. Paul Fox, 61, had chained himself to Lancaster town hall in protest of homelessness.
Within hours of Paul’s live interview with LancsLive on Facebook, campaigners then said he was contacted by the city council and received the keys to a flat in a secure complex with a warden in Lancaster.
Read the full story here.
A new Geek Retreat has opened in Preston
Geek Retreat, based opposite the Flag Market on Friargate, opened its doors to the city on March 19 boasting a unique space dedicated to gaming.
Our reporter Fatima headed down to try out the new spot, she said: “The biggest selling point I found from the Geek Retreat is the inclusive ethos it promotes through its welcoming atmosphere, as well as providing a place where those who might not have access to the games they want to play to do so. A very unique but pleasant addition to the city centre that will no doubt prove to be a treasured hub for many.”
Read her full story here.
Mother’s Day event with a difference thanks to kind staff at Lancashire pub
The Bellflower pub in Garstang held a Mother’s Day event with a difference by hosting a special breakfast to allow people to celebrate the lives and memories of their mothers, sisters and friends who have passed away.
The breakfast took place on Mothering Sunday (March 27) and included a cooked breakfast, glass of Bucks Fizz and a chance to chat about the life and times of loved relatives who have passed. Highlighting how Mother’s Day could be a ‘truly painful’ time of year and a ‘huge trigger’ for people grieving their mothers who have passed, manager Heather Brandwood said the event would enable people to ‘honour’ their lost relatives, their lives, and their memories of them.
Read more about this story here.
Woman, 89, smashes ‘stand up’ challenge after suffering with condition all her life
An 89-year-old woman living with cancer took part in a ‘stand up’ charity challenge.
Oswaldtwistle’s Jean Taylor, who has been deaf all of her life, raised £434 for charity ‘Hearing Dogs for Deaf People’. Participants were able to choose a challenge to do at any point during February that involved the number 28 to raise money for deaf people. Jean, who will be 90 in June, chose to do 28 continuous ‘stand ups’ at home from her chair for each day of the month.
Read the full story here.
One woman’s initiative to combat loneliness in Chorley and South Ribble has changed lives
The woman behind a scheme set up to combat loneliness in Chorley and South Ribble says people have told her that it has “changed their lives”.
Marjorie Hayward founded the Talking Tables initiative last year and in the latest expansion of the project, cafes across Chorley and South Ribble will provide a guarantee of company at a fixed time each week. The service is now available at more than a dozen venues after arriving in Buckshaw Village at Cafe Cappuccino on Unity Place this month.
Marjorie hopes that Buckshaw residents who feel isolated in their own homes will find the same solace as those who have embraced the concept in other areas. A full list of participating venues can be found here.
Read the full story here.
Six-year-old boy raises hundreds of pounds selling ribbons to help Ukraine refugees
A Preston schoolboy, six, has raised hundreds by selling ribbons in the colours of the Ukrainian flag with help from his local community.
Jonathan Brindle-Wright, six, set up his own method of raising money for refugees fleeing conflict in Ukraine after a school event in aid of raising awareness of the issue sparked his attention. The schoolboy came home to his mum, Adele, and wanted to see if he could help.
Since word spread of Jonathan’s idea to raise money, Adele became inundated with interest for the ribbons and people outside of the county wanted to buy off her too.
Read the full story here.
Dad set to run 100 miles in aid of 10 hospices including Chorley’s Derian House
A dad is set to run 100 miles in order to raise money for 10 hospices including Chorley’s Derian House.
Martin Foster decided to take on the challenge to raise awareness of the facilities and the specialist care they provide and will be stopping at each hospice during his run.
The 38-year-old set off from Derian House Children’s Hospice on March 29, and will run 40km over four days. The dad-of-two works as a programme lead for Greater Manchester Hospices and his job means he knows of the invaluable role hospices play in providing a unique, holistic approach to palliative and end of life care. At present, Martin has raised £2,775 for the hospices.
Read more here.
Chorley man’s touching efforts to make a difference after death of friend’s son
A man from Chorley has been raising money for Derian House Children’s Hospice over the last nine years. Neil Hailwood, 49, decided to start fundraising after the death of his friend’s young son.
Neil ditched watching TV for planning events and has raised more than £130k with his Santa Dash up Rivington Pike. Neil is best-known for his annual Jingle All the Way event that sees men, women, children and dogs make the 15-mile trek from Chorley, all the way to the top of Rivington Pike, and back again every November.
He said: “Derian is where my heart is. It all began when a friend of mine lost his son to cancer. I still find it difficult to talk about. It shocked me to think that this young person would never have the same chances that I have had in my life.”
Read the full story here.
Retired nurse discovers secret brother after niece tracks her down using DNA
A retired nurse from Southport discover she had a secret brother after her niece tracked her down using DNA. Linda, from Birkdale, said she was ‘happy shocked’ after she was delivered the news.
Linda, 75, was adopted at the age of two and had not known about her brother until her niece, Lorraine Ward, came to visit after tracking her down through a DNA ancestry website. Linda and her brother Derek Hogan share the same father and were born just six months apart.
After confirming the DNA was a match Linda and Derek decided to meet for the first time. She said: “I turned up in a dress that I had made of the American flag, and he turned up strangely enough with the American flag on his belt we laughed about that but the meeting was just amazing”.
Read more here.
Lancaster woman’s kind campaign unites the elderly with children
A woman in Lancashire has received over 700 cards for elderly residents in the area in a bid to combat loneliness in the village.
Sam Pritchard from Halton launched the ‘Fighting Loneliness – One Village At A Time’ campaign in October last year which saw children in Lancaster area draw and write cards to recipients. Recipients would be nominated for a card and would typically enter the hands of elderly residents who lived alone or were housebound.
Just five months later, Sam has received 728 cards in total and residents have said it was a ‘fantastic’ campaign that has ‘helped so many people’ in the village. On Saturday (March 26) Sam hosted a huge get together for all involved, which saw elderly residents finally meet those who had kindly sent them letters.
Read the full story here.
Rawtenstall high school celebrating after report from Ofsted
Pupils and staff at Alder Grange School celebrated this month after retaining its ‘good’ rating from Ofsted.
The report, published last week, said the Rawtenstall high school and sixth form is a “happy and safe place” and continues to be a good school. The two-day visit from Ofsted came five years after the school was last inspected, when it was also judged to be good.
Read more here.
Oswaldtwistle teen boxing champ selected to compete in world championships
A 15-year-old from Oswaldtwistle has been given a grant in order to achieve her Thai Boxing dreams and compete in The Unified World Championship in Italy this year.
Alana Hulme, 15, is a three times British Champion, having participated in the sport of Muay Thai for over five years. She currently racks up at least 15 hour of training per week and now will be able to compete in The Unified World Championship in Italy thanks to her selection for a local prestigious ‘Make A Difference Award’ by charity Dan’s Trust.
The award means she has been handed a £1,000 donation to help her move forward with her sporting passion. Alana said: ““I’m over the moon to have been selected for a Dan’s Trust MAD Award. The funding will help pay towards equipment and travel expenses for various fights, including the AFSO Unified World Championship in Carrara, Italy.”
Read more here.
Waffle steals the show at Crufts
A breeder from Preston revealed the parlour secrets on how Crufts favourite Toy Poodle, Waffle, became a ‘little ginger cloud’ at this year’s annual dog show.
Waffle stole the show at this year’s Crufts and was named Reserve Champion after missing out on the Best in Show title by a flat-coated retriever called Baxter.
Waffle, from Preston, is pampered for the show ring with an hour-long wash and blow dry using an organic, cruelty-free shampoo, the Mirror reports. Breeder Michael Gadsby said it takes around ‘an hour’ to shampoo and blow-dry Waffle. Waffle is also said to enjoy muddy walks on Blackpool beach, which is enough to keep you smiling.
Read the full story here.
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